Warm Days, Cold Nights
by sarcasticallydelicious
Summary: If words will not prove the truth in her words, perhaps blades will. A loosely connected series of early stage Leona/Diana one-shots
1. Chapter 1

Gibe n. 1: to utter taunting words, 2: to deride or tease with taunting words

* * *

Diana swung her khopesh experimentally, darting back as it was predictably swatted aside. She was outmatched here physically, she knew, and in experience. But she had the moon, and there was no way she would even compare her intelligence to that of the lout she fought.

She could feel Pantheon's gaze following her, though it was hidden by his helm. He hadn't taken a step from that spot, Diana noted, annoyed. His posture, if anything, had relaxed since the match started, his shield and spear dangling at his side.

Arrogant prick. Diana snarled and charge in.

* * *

The day had started simply enough. Diana woke a little past the hottest part of the day, as she liked to. She didn't have a match that day, so she took her time in the bath and with her makeup, little luxuries she had never been allowed before the League. Just because she didn't have a match didn't mean she could slack off. Or not look her best. It was not vanity, simply that she was the sole representative of the moon on Runeterra.

That the Solari would disapprove had nothing to do with it.

As she did on all her free days, she grabbed her khopesh from its stand and headed to the practice yard. Combat was her new area of study, and she would put as much or more effort into this one. At least with blades, someone would listen.

The vast courtyard was the largest and simplest of the Institute's many training venues. At this time of day the yard was sparsely populated, with several matches currently ongoing.

Diana preferred it that way.

Retreating to her favorite corner of the yard, Diana threw herself at the training dummy, hacking and slashing at it with all her might. Soon she was panting, arms burning. Her stamina had improved in leaps and bounds, she knew, but how quickly she tired still disgusted her.

She heard someone approach; it would have been hard not to, given how the person made no attempt to hide their ridiculously heavy footfalls. Purposely ignoring him - anyone that large and ungainly had to be a him - Diana redoubled her assault on the magically reinforced wood and straw.

When she paused to take a breath, the man spoke.

"You are a disgrace to the Mountain."

Diana's fingers tightened on her blade, her lip curling. Of course, it was the sun bitch's lackey, the other barbarian from that accursed place she'd been forced to call home. Tossing her head, she threw back, "I am no passive Solari thrall like that cow you make eyes at. If I must kill for what I want, I will do so, happily."

She could hear the scorn in his laugh. "That you took that as my meaning just makes you more of a disgrace. Executing old men who never in their lives held a sword simply makes you a greater coward than those pacifists you so despise."

Diana did turn now, face twisted in a sneer. "We obviously have vastly different definitions of 'pacifist' and 'disgrace.' I would expect nothing less from a muscle-bound barbarian knocked in the head so often he refuses to remove his helmet."

"The Art of War is not so difficult to understand, to those worthy of it." His posturing annoyed her. Did the Rakkor learn arrogance as an integral part of their culture? Because the two she'd met certainly had plenty of practice. "I will not be lectured by some little girl who does not even know how to use her sword."

Diana did snarl this time. "You want to know how well I use it? Brave words from someone too scared to fight me!" She tensed, calling the moon's power.

He laughed, a real laugh this time. "After so many challenges, it would be rude to deny your death wish. But if I am to battle an unruly child, I will not do so when you are tired from that sorry excuse for practice." He pointed his spear to the sun. "We meet after dusk, the time of your power so you can at least offer some challenge."

* * *

The crescent moon bathed the training yard in cool light. A breeze carried a few stray leaves across the wide expanse of empty space.

For Diana, it was a perfect night. She had spent many like this, alone, staring into the heavens and contemplating a life beyond her own. Now she had it, but, if she wanted it to go as she planned, she would have to fight.

And like hell she would let that overgrown teenager stand in her way.

Diana muttered the last few lines of her prayer, stood up, and stretched. Only a few other people remained at this time of night, a summoner or two and some support staff. Whether they were here as spectators or just in the way meant nothing to her. It was almost time.

Diana turned at the creak of an opening door. Her opponent emerged, looking as just as he always did. Diana wondered if he even owned another set of clothing. Or a pair of pants.  
He cleared the doorway and Diana could suddenly see his companion.

Of course she would be here.

Diana felt her face heating up, her careful composure evaporating in an instant. Her hand clenched around her sword hilt, and she thrust the blade into the packed earth to avoid its shaking giving her away.

"I'm surprised you came!" the Rakkor dog exclaimed, voice booming through night's serenity. "At least your word still means something."

"Are you here to hurl insults like some schoolyard brat, or are you here to fight?"

The laugh echoed from the depths of the helmet. "And here I thought that was more your style. But very well."

He moved to one side of the field, spinning his spear idly and assuming a fighting stance.

"Diana, wait!"

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" Diana spun, screaming at the meddling bitch. "THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU! GO BACK TO YOUR TEA PARTIES AND SUNNY MEADOWS!"

Apparently it was enough to shut her up, because, despite the woman's neurotic need to have the last word, she didn't respond.

Diana spun and stalked to take the field across from Pantheon. She bent her knees, and staring across the emptiness at her opponent.

Was there a signal that was supposed to start such things? She didn't know and was too angry to care. She charged.

Diana cleared the space between them in the matter of seconds, the moon lightening her steps. Her first strike met the shaft of his spear. His shield lazily deflected her second. The third time she swung with all her might, only to have it nudged to the side and miss him by a hair's breadth.

She took a fourth swing, watched to see how he reacted. He barely moved, turning the whistling blade aside with the slightest of taps.

Her head had finally begun to clear. She circled, swiped again, and reevaluated.

He hadn't moved, she noted with annoyance. If anything, he seemed to have relaxed, not even bothering to maintain the semblance of a fighting stance.

Her plan filtered back to her now that the haze of rage had lifted somewhat. She narrowed her eyes, screamed, and charged.

Even in the darkness, she met his eyes for a split second through the slit of his helm. There was no contempt in his gaze, only boredom, as if even as he fought her he'd already forgotten her.

She'd make him regret that.

She swung. She saw his parry rise, even if she couldn't move fast enough to prevent it.

But she was fast enough to phase behind him to finish her swing.

He lurched forward with a grunt, finally taking that step forward as his blood splattered back on Diana's face.

Diana had half a second to celebrate before his shield slammed into her face.

Her vision exploded into scattered bursts of light as she hit the ground hard, rolling in the dirt. Blood covered the side of her face, matting her hair and coating her cheek in dirt. She blinked hard, trying to rid herself of the stars and dust and ringing in her head. She scrambled to right herself, thanking the gods she at least had the wherewithal to hold on to her sword.

A boot stomped on her back, crushing the air out of her. She struggled to regain her breath, clawing at the ground with her free hand but managing nothing besides grasping a handful of loose ground.

Gritting her teeth, she called the moon's power, pulling Pantheon towards her and off balance. She forced herself up, lunging with her handful of dirt at his face. He managed to knock her hand aside, but not before her handful of dust connected with his eyes.

Diana flung herself up and away, just long enough for a complete breath before diving back in.  
A flurry of spear strikes met her charge. One caught her cheek, another her thigh before she phased out of the way. She summoned her pale cascade, just in time to be slammed in the side and sent tumbling away. She felt the spheres detonate; at least she was getting some hits in.

How long it continued on like this Diana couldn't say. She just kept attacking and attacking, and getting punished for it each time. So many times he almost had her, but each time she called the moon to get away to attack again. But each time it got harder, took more of her waning strength.

Finally, after losing count of the times she'd gotten back up, she could not summon the power to get away.

"Well, that was more interesting than I was expecting."

His helmet was battered, his arms black and silver with blood and sweat in the moonlight. After all that, his arms barely shook as he held her limp body up by her hair, inches from his face. The razor tip of his spear tickled her throat.

Diana could barely draw a breath, barely had the energy to stare him in the eyes. But she held his gaze - as best she could, her face being a swollen mess - unwilling to give up her one last act of defiance.

His grip tightened. "On the field of battle, you would be dead."

The helmet turned, looking past her to someone beyond her left shoulder.

Diana lurched forward, seizing him by the breastplate. "If you're going to kill me, kill me. Don't you dare take her into account."

"I wouldn't have fought you if not for her."

He tossed her aside, striding away before she even hit the dirt.

The battle over, Diana had nothing to distract from how much her entire body hated her. She just wanted to sink into the ground, and sleep for about a month.

Or she could watch the two Targonian lovebirds whispering in the moonlight.

She closed her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Huckster n. 1: hawker, peddler, 2: one who produces promotional material for commercial clients especially for radio or television 3: someone who sells or advertises something in an aggressive, dishonest, or annoying way

* * *

Diana didn't so much wake as slowly become conscious of how much every single inch of her body hurt. When she made even the slightest movements, the pain in her side sent stabbing bolts through her torso. She gasped, writhing in a vain attempt for release. It only worked to set the rest of her body ablaze. Breath ragged, she carefully stayed as still as she could.

Her left arm didn't hurt, which gave her a distraction and something else to worry about. She didn't seem to be bleeding anywhere, though. The pain made sense, given the circumstances.

The circumstances. Right, the battle. She had known she was outmatched going in, but hadn't expected to be so thoroughly thrashed. She had lived her life with the Rakkor just on the other side of the mountain, but had never seen them fight except in the League. And as she learned more and more each day here, ability in Summoner's Rift only loosely correlated with ability off it.

But she couldn't waste any more time lying around.

Opening her eyes tentatively, Diana blinked quickly, trying to clear her vision. This wasn't the training fields, which was the last place she remembered being. Even in the red light – it must be evening - the walls were too white to be her room, too white for most of the Institute.

The infirmary. Of course.

"How are you feeling?"

Diana rolled to face her uninvited quest. Though it felt like her ribcage clawed at her insides as she turned, but she kept her face still through sheer force of will. She knew that voice.

Leona sat demurely at the side of her cot clad in a Solari tunic, the very model of an infirmary visitor. The illusion was ruined somewhat by her muscle bound frame jarring with her quiet pose.

Diana's eyes narrowed, half glare, half wince. "What do you want?"

"I came make sure you were okay. That fight was… pretty brutal."

The bitch's faux concern only served to incense Diana further. On the plus side, her anger served as welcome distraction from her aching body.

"Yes, I'm great." She gave Leona her most sardonic smile, though it may have been part grimace. "I try to work a beating into my nightly routine."

"Diana." The Solari leaned in, with what was probably supposed to be an earnest expression. "That's not what you should be taking out of this." She gestured widely. "You did really well! Any battle where you can land that many clean hits on an opponent that much more experienced than you is a win! It may hurt now, but the medics say there was no permanent damage. That you're already awake means you should be back on the field in no time. "

"Yes, representing the moon from underneath the boot of every other minion and hooligan in Runeterra."

Her opposite sighed. "Being beaten by the Rakkor League champion is hardly the same as losing to a common thug. There's no shame in knowing your limits."

"But there is in accepting them," Diana snapped back. "If I did that, I may as well be dead."

Leona kept pressing. "That's how you'll end up if you continue this behavior. Diana, you need –"

"How did I get here?" Diana interrupted.

"I… uh… The Institute staff found you after the match."

"You can't even tell the truth about something that trivial?" Diana lunged forward. She grabbed at her sword, but twisting to reach it set her side ablaze. She gasped, and lurched forward.

Firm hands grasped her shoulders, and eased her back onto the cot.

She shrugged the hands away. It was all the defiance she could manage.

They sat in silence for a long moment.

The Solari made no move to leave.

Diana sighed. "Just tell me why you're here so you can leave me alone."

"Look," Leona leaned in, looking tired, "you need practice, and the training dummies can only take you so far. Come spar with me."

Diana's eyes narrowed. She watched the other champion carefully, heart pounding too fast for comfort in her weakened state.

"You said yourself that you're here fighting to be heard. Your audience will be more receptive if you win."

Diana's throat constricted. She hadn't expected Leona to remember that comment.

Instead, she attacked. "Did you think having your boyfriend beat me into submission would make be more amenable to your proposal?"

She rejoiced inwardly at her target's shocked expression, but wasn't able to fully savor it as a leaden stomach added itself to her many ailments.

"Diana…" She paused for a long moment. "I'll be in the yard from 6 to 8, Tuesdays and Thursdays. If nothing else, it'll be an excuse to hit me in your spare time."

She stood, picking up the chair to quietly replace it by the desk. Nodding to Diana without looking at her, she turned to go.

"Tell me one thing."

Leona turned back, her expression guarded.

"How did I get here?"

Leona glanced away, face coloring just enough that Diana was sure it wasn't just the light. "I brought you here after you passed out. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

Diana lay back. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Now go away, I need some sleep."

* * *

She waited three weeks before taking Leona up on her offer. She did need the practice, but like hell was she going to let that sanctimonious git the dictate her actions.


	3. Chapter 3

Sounding board n. a person or group on whom one tries out an idea or opinion as a means of evaluating it

* * *

"No offense meant, Leona, but that is a terrible idea."

"Why?" The sun's chosen leaned forward, placing her teacup on the table. "That she is in this situation is partially my doing. I should be the one to help her through it."

Soraka sighed. "But that is exactly the problem. Your shared history could make it more difficult for Diana to work through her problems."

"Diana is not the type to work through her problems. At least we can be sure she will interact with me."

"The woman should have someone to talk to outside her former sect," Karma interjected, her normally calm tone somewhat strained. "We do not want to make the League any more of a hostile environment than it inherently is."

"I can protect her from that," Leona said confidently.

"Not everyone wants your protection Leona."

"You said the same about Vayne. Are you willing to concede that point at least?"

"Just give the sunny lady what she wants." Zyra chimed in, earning a grateful nod from the sun champion and a bewildered stare from Soraka.

Leona folded her hands, but her face remained completely sure. "Shall we put it to a vote, then?"

Soraka glanced at Karma, who nodded. "So be it. All in favor of Leona being incoming champion Diana's Support Group Support?"

Zyra's hand flew up. Lux's and Taric's followed. Lulu shot purple sparks into the air and giggled.  
Soraka and Karma exchanged glances again.

"The group has voted. Leona, if you need any further assistance from the group in-"

"Thank you for your concern, but it should not be an issue." Leona stood and nodded to each of her fellow supports. "The sun will heal her."

It was the sun that hurt her, Soraka thought. But she kept it to herself.

The meeting over, Leona strode from the courtyard, followed by Zyra. Lux and Janna too said their goodbyes and left.

Soraka looked at Taric incredulously.

"What?" he asked. "If she is that passionate about helping the poor girl it should make them both shine brighter."

Soraka shook her head. "I hope you're right."


	4. Chapter 4

Incisive adj. impressively direct and decisive (as in manner or presentation)

* * *

Diana arrived early to the practice yard, when the sun had just begun to touch the horizon. The long shadows of the few remaining pairs were battling giants on the dusty red ground.

She had hoped to arrive first, but Leona was already there, sword locked with Master Yi's. Diana stayed back to watch unobserved.

Leona twisted her sword, bringing Yi's around in an arc and into the ground with a burst of flying earth. She surged forward with her shield with enough force to send him flying but he was already in motion, his helmet's glowing eyes leaving streaked afterimages in the air. He materialized behind Leona.

Diana flinched as the blade whistled down at Leona's unguarded back.

Leona twisted, faster than Diana would have thought possible given the weight of her armor, turning the potentially bisecting blow into a glancing one. Her leg shot out, smashing through air where he had been. By the time her foot reconnected with the ground his blade rested at her throat.

 _Well_ , Diana thought as Leona stabbed her sword into the ground and bowed to Master Yi, _it looks like the combination of barbarian gigantism and sun given tricks isn't as unbeatable as the Solari would like everyone to believe._

Leona leaned in, her shadow brushing Diana's toes, listening intently to something Yi was saying that Diana couldn't hear. Leona's armor flared in the setting sun, the metal distinct from the red backdrop even as the rest of her blended back into it.

The two bowed to each other. Yi headed back toward the Institute, while Leona remained where she was, facing her dimming patron.

Master Yi passed Diana on the way inside, nodding to her politely.

Diana ignored him.

Leona turned after a moment and caught sight of Diana. She walked to join her.

"You're early," she said with a smile, wiping sweat from her face. "I'm glad you're so eager to practice."

 _Yes, so eager I'm three weeks late_. She folded her arms. "If that was meant to intimidate me, maybe you should have picked a fight you could win."

"I still have much to learn." Leona smiled at her absently, taking a swig from a water skin. "Shall we, then?"

Diana's eyes narrowed, but she walked out to the middle of the now deserted field. She swung her sword a few times, rolled her shoulders, and took her fighting stance.

Leona joined her, swinging her arms. "We should stretch. Otherwise you could hurt yourself."

"I don't need to."

"Suit yourself." Leona shrugged and began stretching.

Diana watched impatiently as Leona moved from one exercise to the next, taking entirely too long on each one. "How long are you going to do that? I was promised I'd get to hit you, not that I'd have to stand here while you went through your beauty routine."

Leona glanced up at her from the inglorious position of bending down to touch her toes. "It won't feel like as long if you join in."

Diana crossed her arms, tapping her foot. Oblivious, the twit continued her stretching.

The red of evening had faded to the gray of twilight. Well, she wasn't going to give the sun-addled fool the satisfaction of running her off.

She sat and reached for her toes.

Her the back of her legs screamed at her. She grabbed her feet and held them, disguising her discomfort with annoyance.

She mimicked Leona's movements until her limbs felt loose enough to fall from their sockets. Finally Leona seemed satisfied, and stood.

Diana stood to, grasping her sword. "This is feeling more like a lesson than a sparring match."

Leona retrieved her own sword and swung it lazily. "Is it that hard to believe that I don't want to be responsible for you hurting yourself?"

The moon had begun to peek from behind the Institute. Diana stared at the sun champion. Perhaps she thought her face more hidden than it was to Diana's eyes, but she wore a strange expression Diana couldn't quite place.

Her opponent had taken her battle stance, but Diana wasn't satisfied. "What game are you playing? Why are you doing this at all?"

"I can always use another sparring partner." She jutted her chin at Diana. "I thought you were eager to hit me. Come."

Diana sneered. "Stop with the evasions. You know what I mean."

Leona sighed, rising. "I told you. Continuing as you are is a sure way to get yourself killed."

"So you're fixing that by making me a better killer. I would thank you, but I can't help but think you have some ulterior motive."

Leona paused. "I've seen you fight. At heart, you're not a killer."

Diana's eyes narrowed. "I suppose you think the Solari elders are just on an extended vacation then? Perhaps to that farm in the lowlands your parents sent those injured animals I'm sure you brought home as a child?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

Diana couldn't do this anymore.

"Well, let's make me a better killer, then."

Leona's lips pursed, but she resumed her guard regardless.

Diana charged.


	5. Chapter 5

Dauntless adj. resolute especially in the face of danger or difficulty: fearless, undaunted

* * *

Diana opened herself as she charged forward, letting the moon's power flood her being. Her deity's light bathed her and emboldened her in her current goal: beating the Solari to a pulp.

Her target stood as if an immovable wall before her, which just incensed Diana more. Like hell she would let this be a repeat of her fight with Pantheon.

If there was one thing Diana looked forward to in a fight, it was that for those few moments she was completely free of fear. At first, its drastic absence had been exhilarating. The feeling of being joined with a being that much more powerful, even just the tiniest portion of one: the humbling pride of being Chosen. She could not get enough.

Even here though her ever-present fear had begun to creep in. Perhaps it was because the League had started beating the reality of her situation into her.

But right now her rage more than made up the difference.

Diana crashed into Leona's shield, her moonsilver blade sending up sparks like stars against the darkness surrounding them. It gave a little beneath her swing, ground flying up where her heels dug into earth.

Leona threw her off, her shield glinting with the faintest hint of sunlight as it slammed forward.

The blow knocked Diana off balance for a fraction of a second, but she blinked to the side and yanked at the air around her, dragging her enemy off balance as well. She spun to slice her, the brunt of her blow being deflected by Leona's sword. But when she yanked her sword back the hook of the blade caught on her enemy's arm and ripped a bloody gash in the flesh.  
Leona made a halfhearted swipe at her aggressor and Diana danced away. The moon's power swirled through her being, ascending her beyond Diana, heretic of the Solari, to the moon's chosen who was more than capable than dominating the sun's.

"Are you going to simply stand there, or are you going to attack?" Diana shouted over the clash of metal on metal.

She attacked and attacked and attacked, battering through the sun champion's defenses with the moon's raw power. Diana's blows missed the scurrying Solari as often as not, instead blasting and slashing through the unsuspecting air and earth.

"Is this really your strategy, Leona? To duck and hide and not fight back? How can you hope to beat me this way?"

She threw a series of crescent strikes, forcing her opponent to dive to her right, then met her when she rose, swinging her moon backed blade straight at the woman's unprotected face.

The sun champion's shield rose to meet her blade, but only just and not enough to dissipate the massive amount of force behind the blow. The shield fell back before her, and she heard a wet crunch from behind the barely glowing hunk of metal.

"Diana, stop this! You're going to hurt yourself!"

She's saying that because you're winning, a voice told her from the back of her mind.

"What did you expect me to do?" Diana yelled back, flashing behind Leona and landing a glancing blow to her shoulder before the sun champion pivoted to counterattack. She flashed again, catching her thigh this time. "Did you think I would play by your rules? Don't worry, I learned from that mistake in the fight against your little barbarian friend."

Power flowed off her in waves, illuminating the churned earth surrounding them in harsh silver light. Her muscles ached, and her vision was beginning to lose ground around the edges. Still, she charged back in.

Her attacks came slower now and missed more often, but she pressed on nonetheless, calling more and more power from her deity to make up the difference.

Finally, at the end of her body's strength, she called for more power and it did not come.

Her legs wobbled and gave out. She called to the moon to move her damned weakened limbs, but instead her body grew cold and a started shuddering uncontrollably. Her vision blurred. It was all she could do to keep herself upright.

Leona stood above her, ten feet tall and blazing brighter than the midday sun. Her face was a mass of bruises and swelling, she bled from numerous wounds all over her body, but her presence reflected only confidence and immovable solidity. The glaring light painted the craters and chasms of churned earth in harsh reds and browns. Diana felt like she had been transported to some bleak future where the sun triumphed. Only the far edges of her vision offered any relief, or a reminder that it was still only an hour past dusk.

With the moon's power beyond her reach and her rage burned out, Diana stared at the advancing Solari. She had never truly been afraid of the sun's chosen, Diana realized, eyes wide. Not until now.

"I did not need to attack to defeat you, Diana," Leona proclaimed, voice imposing. She strode up to Diana's hunched form, and raised her sword. "You are more than capable of defeating yourself."

Diana flinched back.

Then the light dimmed and flickered out completely, like the lantern of a firefly. Diana heard a crunch, and opened her eyes to see Leona's blade sticking from the charred ground.

"Will you admit at least you might be able to learn something through this? I faced some similar problems managing the sun's power when I was first chosen."

Diana said nothing, shivering and fighting her own body to prevent herself from collapsing to the ground.

Leona sighed. "Let me help you to the infirmary at least." She offered Diana a shaking hand. "I could use some help getting there myself."

After a moment, Diana reached out and grasped the offered hand. Leona's hand was enticingly warm around her moon-chilled one.

Leona hoisted her upright bodily and put an arm around her shoulders. Heat filled Diana where they pressed together, though whether it came from residual sun magic or its champion's body she couldn't say. Blood from Leona's many cuts and scrapes had begun to congeal, making her arm and side stick to Diana at strange moments as they took a few halting steps.

They hobbled into the Institute, Diana's legs shaking so much they could barely hold her weight. Still, she thought as her muscles burned on the too long walk to the infirmary, at least she was upright this time.

Leona seemed to be thinking along the same lines and grinned at her despite her swollen face. "See? Aren't you glad you stretched?"

Diana's head swam, her breath burned, and the rushing in her ears threatened to drown her. She coughed, spitting blood onto the packed dirt. "Don't push it."


	6. Chapter 6

Null adj. 1: having no legal or binding force: invalid, 2: amounting to nothing: nil, 3: having no value: insignificant, 4: having no elements

* * *

Diana had talked to the Demacians at the last of these asinine events. They had talked her ear off for the entire five hours, never saying definitively one way or the other, but with the subtext distinctly implying the other. No matter how many times or how bluntly she had tried to steer the conversation back to the important matters at hand, they simply twisted her cause into talking about their own.

She had wanted to hack their smarmy, overly groomed pencil pusher heads from their shoulders.

But unlike in the Solari, she had other avenues where she could pursue her cause.

Diana descended the stair, being careful not to step on her long, black dress. She had been to enough of these things that she acknowledged the fact that such getup was necessary.

That she felt beautiful for once wasn't, so she ignored the emotion as she searched the floor for her targets.

She found the Noxian delegation easily enough, a distinct patch of black and green among the jumble of colors in the great hall. Diana headed straight for them, shouldering between several unimportant conversations to get to them.

A trio of Noxian representatives turned to talk to her. They must be exceptionally cunning, Diana thought, given that they clearly excelled in neither physical strength nor magic. The first was a round man with deep set, beady eyes and a prominent mole poking from between the folds of his jowls. The second was the picture of elder statesmanship, slicked back grey hair and square features. The third had her grey and black hair tied in a loose knot that contrasted with the sharp lines of her face. Each wore an evaluating look that normally would have prompted her to unleash her sharpest barbs.

But they were a means to an end, so she inclined her head in greeting.

The introductions went exactly as expected. Diana made a mental note to thank Cassiopeia as she went through the inane motions. Thankfully they were significantly less extensive than the Demacians'.

Still, she only felt relief when she finally, finally got to actually lay out her argument.

What she said wasn't important, from her end. It was the same pitch she'd been making for years, with a few edits: that the moon's power and the moon's people were a powerful ally. Instead, she watched their faces.

Jowls' eyes darted around the room, occasionally landing on Diana, but a ways below her face. She ignored him.

Tight Face nodded in all the right places, which Diana took to be more out of social conditioning than actual attentiveness. Still, she had never been good at reading such things so she kept directing her attentions in that direction.

Square Jaw barely seemed to be paying attention, but she had the feeling he listened the most intently of the three. She directed her argument mainly at him.

"So," she finished, "I hope we can work together, for the betterment of both our people."

Square Jaw motioned a staffer over and placed his drink down definitively on the tray before turning the full attention of his black eyes on her. "And why should the great state of Noxus bend its cause to suit a backwater religion with a single supplicant?

She started to respond, but he held up a hand with the authority of one used to people following his every command, and launched into an aggrieved speech. Something about Noxus not being so desperate for allies they would take any zealot hick who came to them.

Diana's eyes narrowed and she shut her mouth. She was not cowed, though that was doubtless what arrogant prick thought as he continued his rant. No, it was because Elder Cyrus had so often used that same gesture.

Now that she'd made the connection, there was no unseeing it. The way the bloated blob fiddled with his mole mirrored the Solari's former resident pompous ass, Elder Agyfa. The pinched faced woman's snooty expression would have rivaled Elder Tadeas'. Square Jaw, of course, was Elder Cyrus, but the way he lorded over her and the rest of them could only be attributed to the Grand Helios.

She had killed him last. It had only been right.

Square Jaw finished his sermon and made a backhanded gesture to dismiss her.

She didn't move. Her fingers twitched, itching her blade.

There were so many reasons not to. She would be kicked out of the League, irreparably damage her chances of finding allies for her cause… There were other reasons, but they weren't coming to her now, with the Grand Helios Square Jaw of Noxus staring her down.

She clenched her fist, digging her nails into the flesh of her palm. She shook with rage, the moon's power flooded into her, as much from habit as conscious desire. And she certainly had the conscious desire.

A touch to her shaking arm made her flinch, not from any power held within it, because there was none, but just from the unexpectedness of it. She whirled.

Of course it would be the sun bitch, looking her in the eye as if that would quell her rage rather than inflame it. The power welling within her formed into a blade at her fingertips of its own accord.

But that look.

Yes, that ignorant thrall and her masters would love to see her do this, to show herself to be the rabid dog they painted her as.

With more effort than she'd ever exerted, Diana turned and left.

She could hear them continuing to defame her even as she pushed her way through the crowd. Or maybe that was her imagination speaking for them. Probably the latter, giving the rushing in her ears.

She sped up her pace.

Diana made it out the doors and around the corner before she couldn't hold it in anymore. Releasing all her pent up rage, she slammed her fist into seamless stone wall. The stone gave with a satisfying crack, and several of the little bones in her hand gave with it.

The pain stabbed through her hand and up her arm. Diana clenched her fist reflexively and instantly regretted it. She slid to the floor, cradling her hand and staring off into nothingness.

What was she doing? She couldn't keep doing this. She just…just…

The sound of heels clicking quickly down the hallway pulled her out of her head.

Great, just what she needed.

The suicidally persistent sun bitch turned the corner, holding her long skirt up to allow for her ridiculously long stride. Diana noted once again how the Solari were terrible at dressing their champion; once again, she wore a swath of red fabric that completely covered every inch of skin and looked like a giant red block with the woman's head perched atop it.

Leona sat against the wall, far enough to allow Diana an easy escape but close enough so there was no mistaking that she sat next to her. She turned to her left, towards Diana, just slightly, but the chips of stone on the floor rasped and scraped, exaggerating the tiny movement.

After an overly long moment, the sunny sycophant asked "Do you want to talk?"

"No," Diana snapped. Her hand clenched unconsciously and she grit her teeth at the pain.

For once, she listened.

Diana tried to get back on her internal tirade against herself, but her heart wasn't in it. So she breathed, until her shaking had subsided and her skin stopped burning. Of course, it gave her fewer distractions from the pain in her hand, but she'd long since accepted that she couldn't have everything.

"You should really have that looked at," Leona's voice drifted over to her. "You don't want an injury like that to heal badly."

It took Diana a moment to realize the woman was referring to her hand. It still hurt like crazy, but certainly it didn't look…actually, it looked really bad.

She shifted, moving to stand and catching herself just in time to avoid pushing herself up with her injured hand.

Leona scrambled to her feet, taking the few steps necessary to reach Diana and creating a miniature avalanche of rubble and dust.

Diana's lip twitched. "The Solari aren't going to be happy about what you did to their dress."

Leona laughed. "Isn't this the one you said made me look like a brick? I'm sure they'll get over it. You still look lovely, if it means anything." She stood, and offered a hand to Diana. "Now let's get you to the infirmary."


	7. Chapter 7

Lissome adj. 1: easily flexed, 2: lithe, nimble

* * *

"Just try to move naturally."

Diana stabbed her sword into the packed dirt of the training grounds, leaning on it and breathing heavily. Her legs shook and arms protested even the small task she required of them to keep her upright. "It's just that simple, is it? Have you forgotten that most of us haven't been training to be a fighting machine since we could shake a rattle?"

The moonlight bathed the empty practice yard, highlighting the many gashed they had left in the otherwise even ground. Their matches had been less destructive after that first week, but still consistently tore up the unsuspecting yard.

Had she improved? Diana couldn't be sure. She tired less quickly, certainly, and despite fighting more she'd landed herself in the infirmary less. Diana supposed those could be used as objective measures of advancement, but in truth…well, she still had the distinct sense that what hits she go in, particularly after that first night, Leona had allowed her.

Of course, that simply gave her more motivation to improve so she could string the smug Solari up on her own unwise handouts.

Leona's breath came ragged too, though Diana wasn't sure whether she was faking for Diana's benefit or was tired from having two matches and at least one other sparring match earlier today. She still didn't understand how the woman found the time to fit that much fighting into a single day.

She also looked sheepish. Had she seriously forgotten that the average citizen of Runeterra didn't go through Rakkor basic training?

"I guess," Leona paused, stabbing her moonlight-dulled sword into the ground and covering her mouth thoughtfully, "I mean you should try not to think so much. It slows you down, and that isn't something you can afford on the battlefield."

Diana snorted. "Often, thinking is considered a more valuable pursuit than mindlessly bashing someone over the head with a club."

Leona gave her a strange look. Diana wondered if she was doing this on purpose, leveraging Diana's inability to read her facial expressions against the moon champion's superior night vision.

"Yes," the sun champion replied, "yes, it is."

When Diana didn't respond, because honestly she had no idea what Solari was getting at, Leona returned to the subject at hand. "When you are presenting a case, do you do most of your thinking on the spot, or do you rely on what you've already prepared?"

"On what I've prepared," Diana answered instantly. She paused. "So you're saying a battle is the same?" She brought her hand to her chin and began pacing. "You do your best to practice and prepare counters for the most likely attacks, and otherwise rely on your ability as a debater and knowledge of the subject matter…or in this case, fighting ability and experience." She rounded on Leona. "Was that what you meant?"

"Yes," Leona laughed, "though you put it much better than I would have. Maybe we should slow down for a bit, practice some drills."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Have you trained anyone else, or are you just making this up as you go along?"

"I admit, you're my first." She paused. "Well, the first to train with seriously. Do you remember when we tried this in the Solari? I tried that with several others as well, to similar results."

Diana pursed her lips, but stayed silent. She remembered every word, many of which rang with the cruel irony of retrospect and fate.

Still, she followed Leona's lead when she began running drills and explaining the use of each one.


End file.
